Vaporizing apparatus.



No. 654,762. Patented Deb. 25, I900.

v A. mson.

VAPORIZING APPARATUS.

(Application filed Feb. 23, 1900.)

(No Model.)

WITNESSES: ENVENTOR UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR KITSON, OF PHILADELPHIA,

PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE KITSON HYDROOARBON HEATING ANDINCANDESCENT LIGHTING COM- PANY, OF SAME PLACE AND OHARLESTON, WESTVIRGINIA.

VAPORIZING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 664,762, dated December25, 1900.

Application filed February 23, 1900. Serial No. 6,199. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR KITSON, a subject of the Queen of GreatBritain, and a resident of Philadelphia, (Germantown,) county ofPhiladelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Vaporizing Apparatus, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to vapor-burning apparatus in general, and morespecifically consists of an improved apparatus for use in connectionwith vapor-burning lamps. Its most important application is to thatspecies of vapor-burning lamp employing incandescent mantles andvaporizing the fluid hydrocarbon fed to it by the heat generated by theburner itself. One difficulty which is encountered in the commercialoperation of all lamps of this class is that all fluid hydrocarbons,more especially the heavier ones, such as kerosene, tend to deposit acertain amount of solid carbon in the vaporizing tube or chamber. Theaccumulation of such solid matter interferes with the efficie'ntoperation of the lamp and ultimately tends to stop said operation byclogging up the fine orifice through which the vapor is discharged. Ihave found that certain substances when heated in contact with the fluidhydrocarbon, such as kerosene, will prevent the deposit of the solidcarbon particles, and while I am not absolutely certain of the exactreaction which produces this result I am inclined to believe that it isdue to the fact that the said substances give off a gas when heatedwhich tends to combine with the firiennolels cules or atoms of carboncarried infil k roe ilffilficra thcli w tea ime terrying them forward inthe gaseous state to the burner and-preventin tneiraepesit assolidmatter. The substances with which I have so far experimented andobtained the best results are various oxids which when heated would tendto give oif oxygen which would combine with the carbon to formcarbon-monoxid or other gas. I find the best results to be produced bywhat is commonly called iron sponge, which is a hydrated oxid of iron.This material or other similar substance I prefer to use in afinely-divided condition and to place the same in a heatingchamber towhich the oil-supplyis fed. This heating-chamber may or may not beseparate from the vaporizing-tube proper; but I prefer to make itseparate from the vaporizingtube properand to locate it in the heatingzone of the vapor-burner, but at a distance farther from the burner thanthe vaporizingtube proper is located, the line of connections being suchthat the oil passes first through this separate heating-chamber, Whereit is vaporized fully or partially, and then goes to the vaporizing-tubeproper, where its vaporization is completed or the vapor already formedis superheated, so as to cause the same to more nearly approach thecondition of a fixed gas.

The preferred form of apparatus embodying myinvention is illustrated inthe accompanying drawing, in which one form of vaporburning lamp isshown having vapor-burners l 1 preferably cooperating with incandescentmantles 2 2, said burners being arranged beneath a vaporizing-tube 3.This vaporizing-tube is arranged horizontally, extending across thechimney 4 of thelamp, and at a higher point in said chimney is locatedthe second heating-chamber 5. This heatingchamber is connected to thevaporizing-tube by any convenient connection, such as the bent tube 6,and the oil-supply is fed to the opposite end of the heating-chamber 5through the tube 7 and is controlled by the valve 8.

Within the heating-chamber 5 I placea considerable quantity offinely-divided material 9, which is of the character before described towit, iron sponge or other material which when heated will give offoxygen or other gas that will combine with the carbon particles to formcarbon-monoxid or other gas.

I preferably place the heat-shield 10 over the vaporizing-tube 3 andbetween it and the heating-chamber 5.

The yaporburners are preferably surrounded and protected by the glassglobe 11. At one end of the heating or filter chamber 5 I prefer toleave an opening of the full diameter of said tube and close saidopening by ing steel from iron.

means of the. removable screw-capl2, to which the pipe B'may also beconnected. The advantage of this is that on removing said cap thematerial 9 can be freely taken out.

The method of operation of my invention is therefore as follows: Thelamp being in operation, the vaporizing-tube 3 will be subjected to ahigh degree of heat, while the heating-chamber 5 is subjected to a lessdegree. The oil entering through the pipe 7 filters through the mass ofmaterial 9in the heating-chamber 5, so that every particle of it comesinto intimate contact with said material. The heat to which the materialissu bjected is suflicient to cause the carbon particles to unite withthe material, and'thus'enhance the filtering action, or to liberate theoxygen or other gas and produce a combination between it and the carbonparticles, so that theyformja gas. The'wholly or partially vaporized oiland the gas formed as above explained then pass through the tube 6 intothe intenselyhot vaporizing tube proper, 3, where the vaporization iscompleted and super-heating of the vapor and gases is produced. The jetof vapor is then discharged from the far end of the vaporizing-tube andconducted to the vapor-burners in the wellknown'manner. The depositionof free carbon is thus partly or wholly prevented, and if any such freecarbon is depositedit is'collected in the larger heating-chamber 5,whereit will have less tendency to clog the action of'the lamp than would bethe case if itpassed into the smaller vaporizing-tube 3 or accumulatedabout the fine discharge-orifice in the farther end of said tube.Moreover, such of the'free'carbon as is deposited-in the heatingchamber5 will combine with the loose materi al'9- and can be readily removedfrom said chamber with the material to which it adheres, while if thefree carbon is deposited in the hotter'vaporizing-tube 3 itdeposits'upon the walls thereof and forms a solid mass, which cannot bedug out. Such deposit onthe wall of the vaporizing-tube also inter-posesa nonconducting shell between the Walls of the tube and the'vapor or oiland diminishes the vaporizing action of the entire apparatus.

It is well known, of course, that iron when heated will absorb carbon,as this is the basis of the whole art of tempering steel and form- It isalso well known that iron and steel will absorb-carbon when heated andbrought into contact with oil, as this is the method pursued inso-called oiltempering. It is therefore evident that a part of thebeneficial action of my invention arises from this action of the ironsponge in absorbing free carbon when it =is heated in contact with theoil or vapor,-the porous nature of 'the spcngecausing this action tooccur in the highest degree. In'proof of this I may state that I haveseen the ordinary iron parts of my l'amps'which have "been exposed inahca'ted condition to the action of the oil and vapor for some timebecome so impregnated-with carbon and consequentlyso highly tempered asto be as brittle as glass.

The advantages of my invention, as indicated, comprise the production ofan apparatus which is highly efficient in that itconsumes all thecombustible material in the oil and is also economical in that itrequires little attention. My improved apparatus will run for a muchlonger time without attention than does the ordinary vapor-burning lampand does not require the addition of mechanism for cleaning out thevapor-discharge orifice. Furthermore, if eventually the apparatus doesbecome clogged up the clogging occurs-in the heating-chamber 5 as aresult of the'filling up of all the interstices between the particles ofthefi lling=9, and themateria-l so. accumulating can 'be readilyremovedwith said filling material and anew-charge introduced withoutnecessitating the renewal'of any of the permanentpartsofthezlamp.

It is evident, of course, that various changes could :be made inthe'details 'of'construction illustrated without departingfrom thespirit and scope of'my inventionso longzasthe principle of operationabove described is maintained. The relative arrangement and pro portionof parts might be variedand the .lo-

cation of the material 9 changed. Other ma. terials than :ironspongemighit be :em ployed, so long as they wouldhave the efiectof-rcombining with the free carbon to apro'duce the result described.All such modifications. II should still consider within my invention.

Having therefore described my invention what I'claim as-new, anddesireto'proteet by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a vapor-burnirrg apparatus of a heating chamberthrough which the oil-supply is fed, .and :a 'fillingsfor said chambercomprising "material which; on the-application of heat, givesiofi agascapable of combining with carbon.

2. The eombinationwith a vaporebur-ning apparatus of a heatingchamberthrough which the oil-supply is fed, and a fillingifor said chambercomprising material which on the application of heat, gives oif oxygen.

3. The combination with'a vapor-burning apparatusof a heating -'chamberthrough which the oil-supply-i-s :fedfand abodyiof iron sponge locatedin. said chamber.

4. The combination'with'a vapor-burning apparatus of a heatiu'gchamberthrough which the oil-supply is fed, and afillingfor said chambercomprising material "which-0n the application "of heat, .givesolf a gascapable of combiningwith carbon, said heatingchamber being locatedwithin the :heating zone of the said vapor-burning apparatus.

5. The combination-of the vaporburrning apparatus, the vaporizing-tube,arsecond heat in g-chamber farther removed from theivaporburner,connections such that the oil-supply is passed through theheating-chamber tothe vaporizing-tube, and a filling for theheatingchamber comprising a material which, on the application of heat,gives off a gas capable of combining with the carbon deposited by theoil.

6. The combination of the vapor-burning apparatus, the vaporizing-tube,a second heating-chamber farther removed from the vaporburner,connections such that oil-supply is passed through the heating-chamberto the vaporizing-tube, and a filling for the heatingchamber com prisinga material which, on the application of heat, gives ofi agas capable ofcombining with the carbon deposited by the oil, together with theheat-shield interposed between the vaporizing-tube and theheating-chamber.

7. The combination of a vapor-burning apparatus, the oil-supply pipes,and a filterchamber in the line of connections, located above thevapor-burning apparatus and Within the heating zone thereof, togetherwith a mass of material which combines with carbon when heated, locatedin said filter-chamber.

Signed by me at New York, N. Y., this 8th day of February, 1900.

ARTHUR KITSON.

Witnesses:

W. H. PUMPHREY, L. E. PEARSON.

